Helms, Richard

Helms, Richard (McGarrah)

(1913– ) government official; born in St. Davids, Pa. He was a journalist before he joined the U.S. Navy in 1942. He joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (1947) and served as its director (1965–73). He was convicted of lying before a congressional committee (1977); he countered that his oath as head of the CIA required him to keep certain secrets. He was an international consultant (1977) and president of Safeer Company in Washington, D.C. (1977).